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Date:         Mon, 11 Jun 2001 16:43:28 -0700
Reply-To:     T Berk <tberk@MINDSPRING.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         T Berk <tberk@MINDSPRING.COM>
Subject:      Re: What is "Jury-rigged"? (NO VANAGON CONTENT)]
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

Historical note: The phrase came about because Blacks (Negroes) were many times without adequate resources to affect proper repairs and were know for adapting what was at hand in ingenious ways to produce a fix or solution.

Rag-tag but serviceable, slightly miraculous at times. Often shoddy in appearance, it was originally due less to a given peoples and more to a certain economic class & circumstance. [I'm sure the Chinese, Romans, & other civilizations have a 'horse of another color' for the same situation.] It had entered the pool of common usage but is not P.C. . (really?) and has been replaced by the phrase 'Jury Rigged' ( originally having to due with corruption & undue influence) in common everyday language.

Lots of phrases, perfectly acceptable in olden times & useful for being very descriptive (based on an agreed upon meaning, often inaccurate) have begun to fade in the modern light of day inc. getting 'gypped' or 'Jewed' out of something, etc.

TBerk

Andrew Payton wrote: > > Funny that was mentioned. I was about to respond b/c I'd asked myself the > same question except for a bit of a different reason. I live in KY & I'd > always heard the term "nigger-rig" up until a few years ago. Even people that > were racist said it - I said it. I looked up jury-rig when I first stumbled > upon it to see if there was any relation. Anyway, I found basically the same > thing Terry Kay did with this ask jeeves answer, so I'd recommend that > explanation. > > -Andrew > > John Rodgers <jhrodgers@CHARTER.NET> wrote: > > At the risk of creating an uproar and being politically incorrect, I > > will tell you there is a term that has been used related to "rigging", > > and that is "nigger-rigging". It implys an improper way to make things > > work, with the outcome being less than desired. The expression was/is > > used even today, particularly in the Deep South. To me personally it is > > vile, offensive, and disparaging of a people who have carried a great > > burden in this country. But none-the-less, it is still in use. > > Fortunately, it's common use is dying out. > > > > John Rodgers > > 88 GL Driver > D


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